Rack for ford automobiles



Oct. 28, 1930. M. L. CLELAND 1,779,662

' RACK FGR FORD AUTOMOBILES Filed March 8, 1930 77Z.Z. Cleland.

Patented Oct. 28, 1 930 UNITED.- STATES P ENT J oFmg-y;

MELVIN L. CLELAND, or HASTINGS, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR T'O exaln'o'rnMimurjac- J TUBING company, or nnsrmesnnnnasxn, A COBIPORATIQN orNEBRASK L RACK non FORD uroMoBI- Es j Applicationfiled March 8, 1930, -Serial No. 134 ,34 5. I

This invention has to do with luggage carriers of the type applicable tothe front or rear bumper of an automobile. It'is usual to apply aluggage carrier to the rear of an automobile, and for this reason thefollowing detailed description of my invention will have reference tothe rear part of an automobile.

My invention is characterized by extreme simplicity inasmuch as itinvolves only two main relatively movable parts, thereby making for easeofattachmenhrand low cost of productiomas well as other desirablefeatures. Y

The invention involves a pair of brackets,

' each of which is rigidly though'detachably securable to a bumper, anda luggage supporting rack member having a pivotal connection with theouter ends of the brackets. The pivotal connection is such as to'providefor adjustment whereby the rack member may be held against movementinits operative and inoperative positions. For the purpose-of positivelypreventing movement of the rack member beyond certain limits, I

provide lugs oppositely disposed from the pivots, and locate a portionof the rack for movement between said lugsr The lugs are so spaced as tosupport the rack in a horizontal position and also in. a positionslightly inclined forward of the vertical. Moreover, each bracket isprovided with a pair of lugs whereby each reinforces the other in itssupporting function. The bracket members themselves are providedwithclamping means for securement to the bumper, and provision is made forspacing the rack portion from the spare tire in both. limiting positionsof the rack so that access may be easily had to said tire withoutchanging the position of the rack member. v a

While I consider this invention particu larly applicable to the Fordtype of auto-- mobile, I desire it to be understood that it is wellwithin the province of my invention to apply the same toother makes ofautomobiles. e e

For a full and more complete understanding of my invention, referencemay be had I ..rails.' 5

- A,having detachably' seciiredthereto a spare ing drawings, inwhichoftherear part of a Ford automobile, showing my-novel rackconstruction applied ther eito in operative position? Figure 2 atop-'planview of-my novel luggage carr er. Flgure 3 1s a sldeelevationalview ofthe construction illustrated in Figure l 2.

5 is a viewsimilar to Figure 1, but

to the following description and accompany- I v' Figure 1 is afragmentary perspective view showing the rack bracket attachedto therear of an automobile' and between the bumper .II illustrate the rear ofan automobile tire B and bumperettes "C, thoughbumpers extending clearacross the rear may be equally employed insofar as my invention isconcerned. I

'My improved carrier is applied'to "the bumperettes G as illustrated :inFigure 1. Said carrier includesia-rpair'of bracketsfl having forkedfends2,. the spaced arms-30f which are separated by thechannel grooves 4. f

Each of said grooves is fashioned t'o's'nugly receive a rail. D of eachbumperette C, the

depthof the groove being slightly less than 1 fthe'thickness oftherai'l. plate 5-is-ap- 1 1 plied to the inner face'of the-rail D, and,bolt or: other suitable means 6 pass through the plate 5 and arms3 andstraddle the rail D. It Will now be apparentthat, with the rail disposed in the-groove and the platefi'applied, 'a slight space willseparate the "arms 3 from said plate, so that the bolts maybe tightenedto provide a firmand substantial} gripofthe clamping means ontherail. 13 z Each bracket 1 when applied as illustrated inFi'gure 1, extendssubstantiallyhorizontally and rearwardly of the vehicleAg The outerframe9 of'a' luggage carrying rack '8 is provided with extensions, 10whichffiank the brackets 1 outwardly and-overlap the rear extensions 11thereofgj flThe portions vlO and 11 are joined by a pivotal connectionat 7, whereby said lugs reinforce each other in supwhich connection maybe loose or may be porting said rackin operative and inoperativetightened by means of the instrumentalities positions selectlvely.

constituting the pivotal connection. Extend- In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature. ing upwardly from the portion 11 of each MELVIN L.CLELAND. m

bracket 1 is a lug 12 and depending downwardly'from the portion 11andsubstantially diagonally opposed to the lug 12 is a second lug l3,said lugsbeing integral with the part I I I II I 10 11-61securedthe'reto any suitable manner. I I I II 75 Said-lugs projectlaterally outwardly beyond the body of each bracket 1 and the extensionof the rack frame 9 is capable of pivotal movement betweensaid lugs,engaging the I v bottom 14 of the lug 12"andthetop 15 of the I lug 13when in operative position,?as shown 7 I 1 in Figures 1, 2 and 3, andengaging the rear face 16 andthe forward face-17 of the lugs 12 and 13respectively in its: limiting inop'era- I tive position, as illustrated"in Figured. It .7 I 1 v will thus be apparent that, while the lug 12 I 1is, capable, together with pivotal connection at 7 of supporting therack 8 in a substantially horizontal position, the lug 13 at this I r 1I time provides reinforcement to strengthen the j ,1 5 10 support of therack member. Similarly, i while the lug 13 and pivotal connection-at 7Will serve. to maintain theme]: 8 in its extreme inoperative position asillustratedin I :30 Figure 4, the lug 12 provides proper' rein- I "5; Ia. f forcement for supporting the rack. It will be noted that the pointat which the rack frame is attached to the brackets, is spaced from thetire a substantial distance so that, I I- g. 4:35 regardless of theposition of the rack, access r i r f 511. 0 to the tire may be hadwithout disturbing I w I the adjustment ofthe rack. a i

' Fromthe foregoing, it will be evident that I have provideda luggagecarrier containing I :40 a minimum number of parts, thereby mini- I I I:lf mizing the cost of production, all the'parts being very'simple, andthe whole device being applicable to and-removable from any set ofbumperettes, orabumper, as the case may be, a I 1 l. .7 v 0.1.5 inajiffy, and without the use of special tools. I I v I H I 111 0 In-theform of my invention illustrated'in Figure 5, the rack construction issubstantially identical with" that-heretofore de- I scribed; but isattached to afibumper support g I I 150 E onthe body of the automobileand extends I I 1 15 intermediate the bumper rails D to provide Y a 7reinforcement to the main clamping means at 3, bysupporting the rack andholding the SflmG against downward movement,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters I I Patent of the UnitedStates, is a p f In a luggage carrierof the class described, i

a bumper, bracket means clamped thereto, a r c r I GO rack having armspivoted to said means, said ,f'

means having lugs on opposite sides of the I I I pjiVot,-said lu'gshaving portions spaced hori Zontally a distance greater than the crosssec tional height of said rack arms and vertically I X a. r .165 adistance substantially equalito saidheight, a a r i 1a J55 7 Having thusdescribed my invention, what i I Y H i i 15 I

